Irish football bids farewell to Lansdowne Road, its rickety home stadium of 35 years on Wednesday in what could hardly be less auspicious circumstances. A team in gradual decline since the Charlton era of the 1980s takes on San Marino, the smallest country participating in the Euro 2008 qualifiers — and officially the worst team in the competition.

A brilliant goal by Thierry Henry gave 1998 World Cup winners France a vital 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday in their 2006 World Cup qualifier and left the Irish with a mountain to climb. Henry’s goal gave France their first-ever World Cup qualifier victory in the Irish capital.